Beware of the Not-So-Green Cleaning Crew

I don't like to complain about work too often, but boy did they get me fired up this week.

About every 4 weeks the cleaning crew empties the refrigerators and cleans them. All of the food is thrown out. I agree that this needs to be done. People leave exposed sushi sitting in containers for days. Weeks! Moldy raspberries. Dried out deli sandwiches from the cafeteria. It's gross!

I saw the sign on the refrigerator door last week warning everyone that the refrigerator was going to be cleaned over the weekend. I forgot and had gone out to lunch with some friends on Friday and left my canvas lunch bag in the refrigerator.

When I returned on Monday, the refrigerator was empty. Gone were the decomposed fruit and edible Frisbees. Also gone was my canvas lunch bag. $25!

I promptly emailed the person in charge of the cleaning crew and asked if it was the policy of the company to toss all containers and lunch bags when the refrigerator is cleaned. This person confirmed that this was the policy. Also gone, in addition to my $25 canvas lunch bag were several glass Pyrex containers. And we know those aren't free to middle class Americans. I then responded, "I agree that it is my responsibility to remove my containers promptly when the sign is posted, but the zero-tolerance policy of absolute destruction of all refrigerated property seems to run contradictory to American Amalgamated Corrugated Conglomerates of America's recent efforts to "go green" and to maintain a environment of sustainability." I got no response from that. Perhaps because they know I'm right. And they're wrong.

Are we really living in a green and sustainable environment when fairly new canvas lunch bags and glass Pyrex dishes are tossed into the trash and sent to the dump? This doesn't sound like a very green policy to me!

The next time American Amalgamated Corrugated Conglomerates of America puts out a "We are environmentally friendly" sign, I am going to write "Lunch bag!!!" on it. Bunch of hypocrites.